Gaëtan Laborde, a tenacious competitor from Nice in Ligue 1, exhibits a paradoxical nature in his playing style. Deployed usually as a Right Winger but occasionally as a Striker or Left Winger, Laborde is a player of contrasting abilities. Aged 30, he's no longer a raw prospect, yet his goal-threat quotient sits remarkably high in the 82nd percentile. Notably striking is his xG per 90 metric, positioned in the 88th percentile, aligning with an impressive rate of shots per 90 (86th percentile). This indicates a knack for getting into scoring positions and maintaining a shooting frequency—traits of a decisive forward.
However, aside from his obvious attacking instincts, other facets of his game raise an eyebrow. His low percentile of 8% in both progressive carrying and goal efficiency signalizes a player who struggles to influence play outside of his goal threats. This limitation is further emphasized with only a 4% positioning in ball retention. It's clear from these numbers that Laborde, despite his goal-scoring ability, lacks the tactical versatility and ball-controlling agility a world-class winger typically portrays.
Laborde's successful crosses per 90 is positioned at 62%, perhaps indicating a potential outlet for improvement enhancing his overall performance. It’s crucial to focus on these metrics when building a tactical setup around him - to utilise Laborde's significant goal-threat ability while mitigating his weaknesses in ball retention and progressive carrying. It goes without saying - Laborde is an enigma, a player who has retained an instinctual predilection for the goal, despite his shortcomings in other areas. A specialist, if you will, and in a well-tailored system, can surely be a valuable asset.
Gaëtan Laborde Key stats
Gaëtan Laborde Career Trend
Gaëtan Laborde Shot Maps
Gaëtan Laborde Shot Summary
In the 2023-2024 season, Gaëtan Laborde took 64 shots, scoring 5 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 7.74, averaging 0.12 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 3 goals from 14 shots. A 21.43% conversion rate. 0.21 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 2 goals from 39 shots. A 5.13% conversion rate. 0.11 xG per shot.
Headers: 0 goals from 11 headed attempts. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.05 xG per shot.
